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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · lie · club · capital · bulb · court · roll · bore

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. court — for sport
  4. club — a group
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — for golf
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. capital — money
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. capital — a city
  19. bore — to drill
  20. roll — a list
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com